Australian pelican

Description

Large aquatic bird, essentially white coloration with black back and tail and yellow eye ring. They have a long beak of up to 50 cm, provided with a wide dilatable pouch that continues over the throat. At the end of the beak there is a horny nail, which is strong and curved. They have short, stout, bluish-gray legs.

Behaviour

It forms large breeding colonies in reed beds or other areas with dense vegetation. Clutch size is usually 1 to 3 eggs and incubation is 29-36 days. Chicks are born without feathers and are totally dependent on the care of their parents.

Interesting Facts

They are gregarious birds. They form large flocks to fish. The dilatable pouch in their beak can hold up to 13 liters of water. Besides using it for feeding, they can use it to collect rainwater for drinking and to dissipate heat when the weather is very hot. They are excellent swimmers and also good fliers.